<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Hearts That Offend by stratusdreams</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27834829">Hearts That Offend</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/stratusdreams/pseuds/stratusdreams'>stratusdreams</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Blood (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Other</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:14:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>721</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27834829</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/stratusdreams/pseuds/stratusdreams</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for Yume Week Day 3: "Confession"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Caleb/Self Insert</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Hearts That Offend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Millie watched as Caleb shut the motel room’s curtains and strode back over to the bed. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “The coast is clear. We oughta be safe for the night.” He plopped onto the bed; Millie scooted over to him, perched at his left. He gave them a quick but tired smile. “How ya holdin’ up, pup?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m more worried about you,” they replied. “Caleb… what do <em> you </em>want?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Whaddya mean?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Like. After this is all over. What do you want?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Caleb frowned. “Well -- I don’t really know. The Cabal’ll be without a leader, and someone will have to step in…” He paused when he noticed that Millie flinched at those words. “Millie?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I just…” Millie pulled their knees up against their chest. “So you’ve told me about your past, right? And it seems like ever since you met Ophelia and joined the Cabal… all they’ve ever done is make you suffer.” They sniffled, hating the way their tears betrayed them. “I can’t stand the thought of you going back to a cult that has only ever hurt you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Millie--”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No, listen to me, Caleb. If you go back to the Cabal, I won’t follow you. I’m gonna stay til we defeat Gideon or whatever, but if you decide to return to -- to that <em> evil</em>, horrible <em> cult</em>, that’ll be the end of it.” Hot tears cascaded down Millie’s flushed face. “You don’t have to return to them, you know. You’re allowed to let go of your ghosts.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Caleb sat stunned for a moment. “Millie, I don’t know what to say. I don’t understand why you care so much,” he finally said. It wasn’t a malicious statement; his voice brimmed with utter confusion at Millie’s emotional outburst. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Because I care about you, Caleb!” they whispered, their voice breaking as their body was wracked by sobs. “I… I love you, okay? I love you so much. You barrelled into my life out of nowhere and ever since I met you, we’ve had this connection, and even though there are cultists trying to murder us, because they’re trying to murder you, I can’t just run away and leave you. I love you <em> so goddamn much </em> and it’s killing me to see you even <em>consider</em> going back to the people who made your life hell!” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He stared at them, then without warning, he cupped their heated face in his calloused hands and kissed them. Millie could feel Caleb’s own tears mixing with their own as their lips met. One of his thumbs ran over their cheek, wiping away their tears. He pulled away, resting his forehead against theirs. Millie screwed their eyes shut, afraid of what he might say. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh, my sweet little Millie… I didn’t know you felt that way,” Caleb murmured, caressing their face. Though his hands were rough, his touch was featherlight, and his gruff voice was soothing. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I can’t imagine my life without you, Caleb.” Millie rested a hand on his chest, over his slowly beating heart. “Please… don’t leave me. I love you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Caleb embraced them then, pulling them into his lap. He held them tight as he buried his stubbled face in their neck. “You know I love you too, right?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hmm?” Millie sat back to look into Caleb’s crimson eyes. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I feel that connection to you, too. Unlike anything I’ve ever felt. I… I just look at you, and I wanna keep you safe. Hold you in my arms an’ make you feel all that love you’ve been denied.” Caleb spoke gently. “I wanna keep you close to me.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m right here,” Millie whispered. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>They gazed at each other for a moment before Millie leaned forward and kissed him, one of their small hands sliding back into his hair, the other cupping his cheek. “I’m not going anywhere. As long as you’ll have me… I’ll be here.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The rest of the night was spent tangled up in each other’s arms. After the shootout earlier, Millie and Caleb were far too tired to do anything but hold each other. The TV hummed lowly in the background, the words like static over the room. They felt Caleb give them a kiss on the forehead, pulling them tight against his chest. “I love you, Millie,” he said, just before sleep overtook them. “I choose you.”</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>